Yankees baseball blog

Steinbrenner hospitalized

George Steinbrenner spent Sunday night in a North Carolina hospital after falling ill at his granddaughter's collegiate play, but he is home and feeling better today, his publicist said.

The 76-year-old Steinbrenner was taken by ambulance to a local hospital during intermission of a performance of Cabaret Sunday at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where his granddaughter, Haley Swindal, was playing the lead role.Publicist Howard Rubenstein did not indicate what was ailing Steinbrenner, but a university public safety spokesman told The Daily Tar Heel that Steinbrenner experienced chest pains. Continue

Suppan up

The Yankees continue to hear from teams asking about Gary Sheffield, but it doesn't appear they expect to get a starting pitcher in exchange for the slugger if they pick up his option with the intent of trading him. That's why they are open to seeing what soon-to-be free agent right-hander Jeff Suppan, who played a big part in the Cardinals' improbable journey to a World Series title, is looking for. "His name is on their list of pitching possibilities," a member of another organization told The Post yesterday. Continue

Sheff deal in place, but...

The Yankees' auction of Gary Sheffield has progressed to the point that general manager Brian Cashman has a potential deal in place if he wishes to pull the trigger, an official from another American League team told Newsday yesterday.

But Cashman is not quite ready to make a trade. A person familiar with the team's plans said "there is no urgency" to the process. The Yankees seem inclined to wait at least a little longer with the hope that the market for Sheffield improves.The Cubs and Phillies are believed to be among the most aggressive teams in pursuit of Sheffield, who is an attractive, more affordable alternative to free-agent sluggers Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee. Those players will land long-term, multimillion-dollar deals, but all Sheffield costs is $13 million for one season, with at least $4.5 million deferred. Continue

Bombers fielding Sheff calls

The Yankees are getting calls about Gary Sheffield. With the Yanks expected to pick up the slugger's option by Nov. 6, teams anticipate the Bombers will trade Sheffield, who has made it clear he doesn't want to return to The Bronx to play first base for the last year of his contract. Sheffield also stated strongly he doesn't want the option picked up, which would enable him to become a free agent. This week, Sheffield also told The Post that any team looking to acquire him better be prepared to talk to him first about a contract beyond next season. Sheffield, 38 next month, wants to play three more seasons.

"Teams are talking to the Yankees,'' an industry source said. "They know he is available and they know, when healthy, he produces runs.'' And while Sheffield's option is for $13 million, it's only $8 million next season since the remaining $5 million is deferred. Possible landing places for Sheffield in a trade are the Angels and Orioles. The Tigers need a DH, and Sheffield enjoyed playing for Jim Leyland with the Marlins. The Yankees, who have been mum about the option, want to pick it up for several reasons. Continue

Maz is Yanks' fall guy

You knew somebody was going to be the fall guy for the Yankees' collapse against the Tigers in the division series and if it wasn't going to be Joe Torre, then it was surely going to be one of his coaches. And so it is Lee Mazzilli, a victim of circumstances, who takes the hit as the Yankee high command moves manager-in-waiting Don Mattingly into the bench coach position, in which he can concentrate on game strategy instead of tutoring hitters.

No one from the Yankees would confirm the coaching shakeup yesterday, but no one denied it, either. All they would say is that "this is one area that we're looking into," meaning Mattingly becoming the bench coach. It makes sense from the standpoint that GM Brian Cashman privately has let it be known that he views Mattingly as a strong candidate to be the Yankees' next manager, and with Torre in the last year of his contract and clearly on notice from George Steinbrenner to produce a better season than the past two, it's important for Mattingly to get more directly involved in the in-game strategy. Continue

Gary the grouch

Concerned about the possibility that the Yankees will pick up his option and trade him, Gary Sheffield sought out George Steinbrenner yesterday. "I went by his house in the morning and he wasn't there. I wanted to go back in the afternoon but maybe I will call him," Sheffield said. "George and I talk like I talk to my father. He told me when I signed that if there was ever an issue to come to him. I want to talk to him and tell him whatever happens, I appreciate him." Continue

Sheffield warns: I won't deal with sign-and-trade

One day after the Daily News reported that the Yankees are planning to pick up Gary Sheffield's 2007 option as a precursor to trading him, Sheffield made it clear that he is not at all happy with the idea. Sheffield was angered when he was informed the Bombers planned to exercise his $13 million option, preferring instead to test the free-agent market in hopes of landing a final three-year deal before retiring. Although Sheffield has little recourse if the Yanks do deal him, by making his displeasure known, it is possible that the potential trade partners will become leery because they can't be sure how Sheffield will react to a deal.

"I don't know what (the Yankees are) going to do," Sheffield told USA Today in a story posted on the paper's Web site late last night. "Maybe they picked it up just to trade me. If they do that, if I just (go) to a team for one year, there's going to be a problem. A big problem. I will not do this." Continue

Judgment Dai

Daisuke Matsuzaka is about to add a big arm, a huge financial commitment and a giant mystery onto the major-league landscape. Matsuzaka, arguably Japan's best starter, is going to be posted by his Japanese team in the next few weeks. Essentially that means, every team will have 72 hours to make a blind bid not to sign the 26-year-old righty, but merely to gain the exclusive rights to negotiate with him for 30 days and have his Japanese team, the Seibu Lions, accept the bid. Continue

A-Rod, Yanks stand united

Speculation about the possibility of Alex Rodriguez getting traded will surely linger until he actually takes the field at the Stadium on Opening Day, but the embattled third baseman's agent said yesterday that he has received assurances from GM Brian Cashman that there will be no A-Rod auction this winter.

Scott Boras, who negotiated Rodriguez's 10-year, $252 million contract, said he recently got a phone call from Cashman in which the GM was adamant that Rodriguez isn't going anywhere. "Brian Cashman and I had a discussion and he made it clear that he has no intention of trading Alex," Boras told the Daily News, "and I told him that Alex Rodriguez has a no-trade clause." Continue

Bombers planning to pick up & ship out Sheff

The biggest buzz among the few general managers attending the World Series is the silent auction the Yankees have apparently already begun for Gary Sheffield. It turns out that Yankee GM Brian Cashman had always intended to pick up Sheffield's $13 million option for next year - but not for the purposes of keeping him. Once the Yankees acquired Bobby Abreu from the Phillies at last July's trading deadline, it was clear Sheffield no longer fit in their plans, but by picking up his option, they can now get something for him. And it could be a nice return as at least a half-dozen teams - the Angels, Orioles, Cubs, Giants, Astros and Rangers - are in the market for a power-hitting corner outfielder, and that doesn't include the Red Sox and Mets. The Yankees can now prevent Sheffield going to such rivals, not a possibility had they let him flee.

What makes Sheffield especially attractive is that much of his $13 million salary for next year is deferred, making him a much cheaper alternative to the only two premier corner outfielders on the free agent market, Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee. Continue

Big trade deficit

Jeremy Bonderman starts Game 4 of the World Series tonight for the Tigers. Jeff Weaver started Game 2 for the Cardinals. The Yankees watch the Fall Classic. That puts into perspective how big a loser the Yankees were in the July 5, 2002, three-team trade in which they obtained Weaver; Detroit acquired Bonderman, Carlos Pena and Franklyn German; and the A's obtained Ted Lilly, John-Ford Griffin and Jason Arnold.

The Yankees' object in dealing Lilly plus two well-thought-of-at-the-time minor leaguers (Arnold and Griffin) for Weaver was to begin to build a rotation of the future. Weaver was 25 years old and considered the ace of a bad Tigers team. But the righty was a disaster as a Yankee and a bigger disaster upon his departure because the Yanks compounded the problem by trading him and a good relief prospect, Yhency Brazoban, for Kevin Brown. Continue

Mussina to Yanks: Let's talk

Mike Mussina's agent told The Post yesterday he expects to start talking to the Yankees about bringing the veteran right-hander back. "We expect to begin talks in the near future regarding his contract, and we're hopeful that we'll be able to reach a deal where he'll remain a Yankee," Arn Tellem said in Manhattan yesterday. "But we really haven't even talked to them yet."

From the start of spring training through the shock of losing to the Tigers in the ALDS, Mussina insisted he wanted to stay a Yankee. According to Tellem, Mussina hasn't changed his mind. "He'd like to, yeah," Tellem said of Mussina returning. The question to be answered is for how long and what kind of money. Mussina made $19 million this past season when he was 10-3 at the All-Star break, suffered a groin problem in the second half and finished 15-7. He let a 3-1 lead slip away in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tigers. Continue

To Yanks, he pulled fast one

Television replays from Game 3 of the Yankees-Tigers division series show a dark streak on Kenny Rogers' left hand that is similar to the controversial one that appeared on him during the first inning of Sunday's World Series game. According to several Yankees, however, there weren't any outward accusations of doctoring in the Bombers' clubhouse after Rogers dominated them over 7-2/3 shutout innings. "I didn't hear anything like that at all," one player said. It's worth noting that while the Cardinals were reportedly suspicious of the action that Rogers' sinker had in the first inning, the Bombers were more awestruck by the sudden jump in his velocity. Hitters that were used to seeing Rogers in the high-80s were overwhelmed by pitches that were closer to the mid-90s.

"People were wondering about steroids more than anything else," one player joked. Then again, if the substance on Rogers' hand was pine tar - as some observers believe it was - or some other agent that helps with a grip, it could have allowed him to better harness his fastball in addition to bending his breaking balls. Continue

Cerrone's job is Yanked

The Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs 13 days ago and while several substantial events have taken place since then (notably Joe Torre's employment status being clarified and the tragic death of Cory Lidle), there also have been a number of more under-the-radar type changes.

Yesterday there was another. The Yankees did not renew the contract of longtime senior vice president of media relations Rick Cerrone, who had been with the team for 11 seasons. No replacement for Cerrone was announced. "It was the best decision I ever made taking this job," Cerrone said in a telephone interview. He added, with a chuckle, that "it was 11 great years - which is 10 more than I thought it would be when I started." Continue

Giambi to have surgery today

Jason Giambi is slated to have surgery on his left wrist today to repair what is believed to be a torn ligament that hindered him over the final month of the season.

Giambi had three cortisone shots to help deal with pain in his wrist, and the procedure is not expected to keep him from being ready to start next season. This winter, the Yankees will again face the question as to whether they want to use Giambi at first base next season or make him a full-time designated hitter. There are few attractive first baseman on the market this year, and the Yanks' in-house option is Andy Phillips, who frequently replaced Giambi late in games for defensive purposes. (Daily News)

A-Rod rumor mill is just getting started

The first significant Alex Rodriguez rumor of the offseason was thrown out in the past 36 hours and the suggestion here is that you do the same: Throw it out. ESPN reported that Lou Piniella, new manager of the Cubs, wants to reunite with his former Seattle pupil. And while that may be true, it also is probably true that Piniella wants Scott Kazmir and Carl Crawford from his last managerial stop in Tampa Bay, as well.

There is a difference between wanting to obtain someone and having a realistic chance at that player, and I cannot see a realistic possibility in which the Cubs land A-Rod, unless there is a third team involved, and maybe not even then. But more on that later. The more important factor is that this is just the beginning of what is going to be the most popular game of the offseason: Dial-an-A-Rod rumor. Continue

Unit awaits surgery to fix herniated disc

As expected, Randy Johnson has learned he will need surgery to repair his herniated disc, putting his status at least for the start of spring training in jeopardy.

One of Johnson's two agents, Barry Meister, told The Associated Press yesterday that Johnson will likely have surgery on his lower back - the second of his career - sometime next week.Johnson pitched with back problems throughout most of last season and the Yankees have been anticipating he would need surgery. But Johnson first needed to consult with back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins, who operated on Johnson 10 years ago.

General manager Brian Cashman said last week the surgery could put Johnson behind schedule to start spring training. But Meister told AP he thinks Johnson will be ready for Opening Day. Continue

Fasano, Green go free

Yankee backups Nick Green and Sal Fasano elected to become free agents yesterday and the team outrighted infielder Andy Cannizaro to its new Triple-A affiliate in Scranton, Pa. Fasano, the backup catcher who often caught the late Cory Lidle, batted .217 with five homers and 15 RBI over 78 games with the Yankees and Phillies. He replaced Kelly Stinnett as Jorge Posada's understudy after coming over from Philadelphia in a July 25 trade for shortstop Hector Made.

Green, acquired from Tampa Bay for cash on May 25, hit .240 with two homers and four RBI in 46 games for the Yankees. Cannizaro was 2-for-8 in 13 games for the Yanks, including his first major-league home run. (Daily News)

It's all about the arms

Even as the postseason goes on without the Yankees, here and in St. Louis and so splendidly in Detroit early yesterday evening, here is a daring prediction for next season: The Yankees win the American League East again. Yankee fans are hoping for more, of course, even though their team has turned into the Braves with more money. It is why Yankee fans are hoping that between now and next October, Brian Cashman and his Crack Baseball Committee will have brought in some pitchers who can do to the other team what pitchers always do to the Yankees at this time of year.

We have reached the point where a premature exit from the playoffs has become as much a given for the Yankees as winning the AL East. It was an aberration the first time it happened, against the Angels in 2002. No more. So Cashman is about to do what he has done so often over the last four or five years: Spend more money on pitching. Continue

White Sox still eyeing Rodriguez

Now that Joe Torre has come full circle with George Steinbrenner - facing the same "show me what you're made of" edict in the potential final year of his Yankee managerial tenure as he did in his first - his main mission must be to re-establish the "team first" culture in the clubhouse that has gradually eroded with the importing of so many high-salaried mercenaries in recent years. But as Torre would surely concur, it would also help if his boss Brian Cashman is able to execute a near-total overhaul of the starting rotation around younger power arms. In some respect those two goals are linked in that the team chemistry problem can only be resolved with the trading of Alex Rodriguez and A-Rod represents the Yankees' best chip for acquiring a young power arm for the top of the rotation.

That's why the Angels, who were willing to deal Ervin Santana last July as part of a package for the Orioles' Miguel Tejada, remain the Yankees' best trading option for A-Rod. White Sox GM Kenny Williams has long lusted for A-Rod and was the first to come calling last week, letting it be known he'd be willing to give up any one of his three established starters, Freddy Garcia, Javier Vazquez or Mark Buerhle. The Yankees weren't interested. On the other hand, Brandon McCarthy, the White Sox's 6-7 righty with top-of-the-rotation potential, might get their attention. Conceivably, Williams would be willing to include third baseman Joe Crede in any deal in that because, in Josh Fields, he has a blue chip replacement ready for the hot corner. A-Rod's agent, Scott Boras, would probably be interested in that scenario since he also represents Crede, who is up for free agency after next year. The White Sox have told Crede they won't offer him an extension unless he gets a minor operation for his periodically ailing back - which he has so far refused to do. Continue

Yanks move on

In the aftermath of George Steinbrenner bringing Joe Torre back this week, questions surfaced as to how involved The Boss was in the decision-making. Did Steinbrenner push GM Brian Cashman to the curb in making the call on Torre? What happened to extended control the Boss gave Cashman last October when Cashman re-upped for three years? Was the Boss back? Would he again listen to the Bronx Backstabbers in Tampa?

To the people closest to the Boss, the questions were without merit because Steinbrenner owns the club and therefore makes big decisions. Yes, the Boss no longer fires managers, pitching coaches and players on impulse. But is the Boss back? To his Inner Circle, Steinbrenner couldn¹t come back because he never went away. Continue

Scare for A-Rod: Jet skids to halt

Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez got a horrible scare yesterday when a private jet he was aboard skidded off a runway outside Los Angeles - just two days after the crash of Cory Lidle's doomed plane. A-Rod's twin-engine jet was brought to an abrupt halt by a 200-foot-long stretch of pavement injected with air bubbles designed to collapse under the weight of an out-of-control aircraft, authorities said.

"It is our understanding that everyone onboard is okay and we're very thankful for that," Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said shortly after the accident at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Arriving from Las Vegas, the Gulfstream GII - equipped with twin Rolls Royce engines - overshot the runway at 11:35a.m. None of the five passengers and two crew members was injured, federal officials said. Continue

Yanks release two scouts

Brian Cashman continues to revamp the Yankees' scouting department. Already having fired VP of international scouting Lin Garrett and coordinator of Pacific Rim scouting John Cox, the GM Wednesday informed highly respected advance scouts Chuck Cottier and Wade Taylor their contracts will not be renewed when they expire Oct. 31. "They said they were changing the plan on advance scouting," Taylor said. "Brian said he is going to use major league scouts and coverage guys." Continue

WFAN takes Lidle interview off Web

WFAN removed Monday's controversial interview with Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle from its Web site Thursday, about 20 hours after the news broke that he had died in a plane crash in Manhattan.

Mark Chernoff, the station's operations director, said he "wrestled" with the decision before determining it had been available long enough."I had a bad feeling in my stomach about it," Chernoff said Friday. "The guy died. And I'm not sure that the interview put him in a great light. So I did it out of respect for him." Lidle sounded uncomfortable as he defended himself after being criticized by hosts Chris Russo and Mike Francesa. After Lidle's death, several callers criticized the hosts for being too hard on him. (Newsday)

Little resistance to misfire

GEORGE Steinbrenner learned something in the midst of not firing Joe Torre: That he can fire Joe Torre without substantial repercussions from fans or the media. That was vital information even after Torre was assured he would survive Steinbrenner's initial, tirade-filled lust to axe him.

Steinbrenner has wanted to fire Torre quite a bit over the years. What has restrained him is Torre's popularity. As Steinbrenner has aged - faced his mortality in a stronger way - he has thought more and more about his legacy. He has not wanted to deal with an overwhelming negative backlash to canning a beloved, respected manager. Continue

Cory lived life to the fullest

It was the quarterfinals of the 1990 California Interscholastic Federation baseball playoffs and South Hills High School was playing Glendora. Cory Lidle was slated to start for South Hills, but moments before first pitch, one of the umpires came over to South Hills coach Jim Bastion and told him that Glendora was playing the game under protest.

"He said they thought the height of the mound was wrong - that it was too high," Bastion said yesterday. "We knew they were just messing around, trying something, and there was actually a guy in the stands, a surveyor, who had a device that could measure it. So while he went to his truck to get the thing, we all just had to wait around." Continue

Flight of doom echoes Munson

Greensburg Road is a two-lane strip of asphalt in northeast Ohio, a country road that runs along a field and the northern edge of Akron Canton Regional Airport. East 72nd St. is a four-lane cross street in northeast Manhattan, a city road that runs from river to river, and through the southern section of Central Park.

One had nothing to do with the other until a few minutes before 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, when Cory Lidle crashed and died in the cockpit of his plane, a Cirrus SR20, maybe 300 feet over the Upper East Side and 400 miles from the spot where Thurman Munson crashed and died in the cockpit of his Cessna Citation, a pitcher and a catcher for the same fabled franchise meeting the same horrific fate, decades before their time. Continue

Lidle's final say

It has become a ritual these past few years - reporters filing into the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium awaiting some end-of-the season remarks. What went wrong? Why no 27th World Series? What changes need to be made? Sunday was no different, with one exception: Joe Torre's position as manager seemed tenuous and every media member was thirsting for reaction from any player or coach.

Cory Lidle was the last player to pack up his things that day. He arrived in the early afternoon, casually dressed and immediately took everyone by surprise with his candid answers. "We got taken by surprise. We got matched up with a team that was a little bit more ready to play than we were," he said, only 24 hours after he had been part of the pitching debacle in Detroit. "We were all pretty surprised at how not ready we were for that series. I don't think we took the Tigers for granted, I just think they were up for it a little more than we were." Continue

Tragedy leaves MLB in disbelief

Brian Cashman and the Yankees didn't know Cory Lidle long, but the anguish in the Yankees' GM voice clearly painted a picture of despair yesterday. "It was disbelief at first," Cashman said when he heard the news in his Yankee Stadium office that the right-hander he acquired from the Phillies in late July had perished in a plane accident on Manhattan's Upper East Side. "Shocking." While the Phillies warned the 34-year-old Lidle of flying, Cashman said he was unaware Lidle was a pilot. "I didn't know he was a pilot until [yesterday]," said a somber Cashman, who dealt for Lidle and outfielder Bobby Abreu.

Understandably, Joe Torre was shaken. "This is a terrible shock. I was with [coaches] Ron Guidry and Lee Mazzilli when I heard the news and we were just stunned. Cory's time with the Yankees was short, but he was a good teammate and a great competitor. My heart goes out to his family," Torre said. Continue

Yanks pitcher dies as his plane crashes into building

Yankees pitcher and registered pilot Cory Lidle was believed to be aboard the small plane that crashed into a Manhattan apartment today, Yankees officials said, in an incident that killed at least two people and trapped others on higher floors. It was unclear whether Lidle was piloting the aircraft and who else was aboard the four-seat, Circus SR20 fixed-single wing aircraft.

Lidle's agent, Jordan Feagan, said he was told by the Yankees that Lidle was among the fatalities of the 2:30 p.m. crash. "He wasn't just my client. He was probably my closest friend," Feagan said. Terrorism was not suspected, but the incident evoked memories of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Continue

A-Rod's here, for present

Joe Torre is back, but George Steinbrenner has made it clear that in the fallout of the Yankees' "sad failure," everyone is on notice. That, apparently, includes Alex Rodriguez, who suffered through a tumultuous season in which he was booed regularly by Yankee fans and was awful in the playoffs for a second straight October. Asked yesterday if A-Rod could "be the player you imagine" next season, GM Brian Cashman replied, "He better be. "Like anything else, he has to find a way."

Rodriguez might not get the chance, at least not in pinstripes. While Cashman said he is not soliciting offers and believes A-Rod still will be a Yankee next season, he also did not rule out the idea of entertaining trade proposals for him. "I'll listen," he said. "That's what goes on in my job." Continue

Three reasons Boss did the flip-flop

Make no mistake: Joe Torre is still squarely in George Steinbrenner's cross hairs. All the proof you need is in the Boss' statement yesterday announcing his manager was staying for the final year of his contract. Torre was as good as fired Sunday and would have been let go this week had it not been for a series of conversations that caused Steinbrenner to reluctantly relent. Two of them were directly related to Lou Piniella, whom Steinbrenner had determined was the only manager he could replace Torre with.

First was a conversation Steinbrenner had with his son-in-law, Yankees general partner Steve Swindal. Swindal negotiated Torre's last contract, which, at $7 million per year, makes him the highest paid manager in the game. And as Swindal pointed out to Steinbrenner, Piniella was going to cost at least $5 million a year, which would mean the Yankees would be paying $12 million for a manager next year. Steinbrenner listened and presumably gulped hard, but still didn't consider that a deal breaker for changing managers. Continue

'About time' for title, Joe

A phone call set up by Brian Cashman that put Joe Torre on the line with George Steinbrenner Monday was the key component to Torre returning as manager of the Yankees. Steinbrenner spent Monday canvassing his inner circle for opinions about Torre's ability to continue as the manager of the Boss' $200 million band of underachievers who have exited the playoffs in the first round two straight seasons.

Then Cashman, a Torre backer, figured it was time to put The Boss and Torre together. The Boss was at his midtown hotel; Torre in his Westchester home. Though Torre didn't divulge all the specifics of the 15- to 20-minute chat, he admitted things might not have turned out the way they did yesterday had he not talked to The Boss. Continue

Swindal steals the show

Steve Swindal once asked George Steinbrenner if he could marry his daughter Jennifer. So you know right away Swindal isn't a shy guy. As general partner for the Yankees, Swindal is constantly in touch with The Boss. So, ever since the Yankees were eliminated from the ALDS Saturday night by the upstart Tigers, he has been riding the roller coaster of emotions with his father-in-law.

And because Swindal and Joe Torre hammered out the three-year contract Torre is in the final season of - plus the fact they get along - many believed Swindal had a hand in convincing The Boss to retain Torre. Continue

He's Joe-ing nowhere

After two days of soul searching, George Steinbrenner isn't going to fire Joe Torre, The Post has learned. According to several sources, The Boss has decided firing Torre isn't the cure for the subterranean problems that plague his $200 million collection of dysfunctional underachievers who have been flushed out of the playoffs in the first round two consecutive seasons.

By the time Torre meets with the press at 1 p.m. today at Yankee Stadium he will have been assured he will be coming back for his 12th season as Yankees manager. While Steinbrenner left Manhattan for Tampa yesterday afternoon, general partner Steve Swindal, Steinbrenner's son-in-law, is in New York today. It's believed Swindal and Torre, who have a solid relationship after negotiating Torre's latest contract, will meet in the morning. "It looks good for Joe,'' a source said. Continue

Wright: Sheff is wrong on Torre

Questions over how accountable Joe Torre should be for the Yankees' early ouster by the Tigers will linger until the manager's situation is resolved, but Gary Sheffield and Cory Lidle have indicated that Torre deserves some blame. Jaret Wright disagrees.

Sheffield says that Torre's decision to bat Alex Rodriguez eighth in Game 4 of the division series created some concern in the Yankee clubhouse while also firing up the Tigers - an odd statement since Sheffield was not even aware of Rodriguez's place in the lineup until reporters asked him about it just before batting practice Saturday afternoon.

Nonetheless, Sheffield told USA Today, "I think that affected the morale and psyche of the entire team, not just A-Rod. I'm not making any excuses, but everyone was wondering what was going on. It made it a real weird day. You would like to be treated with a little respect, I don't care who you play for." Continue

Steinbrenner hears voices

George Steinbrenner went home to Tampa yesterday to wrestle with the toughest decision he's ever had to make in his 33 years as Yankees principal owner. His instincts - the same instincts that prompted him to hire and fire 18 managers from 1978-92 - tell him he should indeed fire Joe Torre after the Yankees' second straight first-round playoff exit.

They tell him that because in both cases he spent in excess of $200 million on salaries - almost twice as much as the next highest payrolled team in baseball - and he never even got a League Championship Series to show for it, much less a World Series and another trophy for the Yankee Stadium lobby. This was not some overreaction on his part after the ALDS. Steinbrenner, at 76, made it known even before the ALDS began that he was not going to be satisfied with anything less than a World Series this year. He made it known clearly and concisely. The fact that the Mets might have one and he doesn't only adds to his fury. Continue

Bomber nation mourns, but stands by Torre

Yankee fans awoke yesterday with a season-ending hangover, cursing a postseason flop that had many believing that Joe Torre has managed his last game in pinstripes. Bombers owner George Steinbrenner fumed that his team's first-round debacle was "absolutely not acceptable" and vowed to correct "this sad failure." But most Yankee fans said they hope Torre survives the Boss' housecleaning.

"We've been better," Torre's wife, Ali, told the Daily News yesterday as she went out for a jog near their Westchester County home in Harrison. Torre later took his family to church, but refused to comment. "He's resting," his wife said after they returned. Continue

Out with old, in with Lou

George Steinbrenner does not make his pitching any younger, or better, by firing Joe Torre. He does not turn Alex Rodriguez into Mr. October, instead of the guy who just puts the O's in October. He can't buy a new heart for the most expensive team in baseball. This is still the right time for Steinbrenner to make a change. Nobody gets to be Yankee manager forever, not even Torre.

This is a time for a new voice, in the clubhouse and in the dugout and in the organization. The best one out there, by far, a voice you can't ever ignore, belongs to an old Yankee line-drive hitter named Lou Piniella. He is not a perfect choice to manage the Yankees. The only perfect choice turned out to be the man he would be replacing. Sweet Lou Piniella is just the best choice. Continue

Yanks' captain abandons ship

If George Steinbrenner thinks that bringing in Lou Piniella is going to solve his Alex Rodriguez problem, and all of the bad karma it has wrought, he clearly isn't in touch with his ballclub. There's only one person who can change the dispassionate climate surrounding the Yankees, and it's the reluctant captain, Derek Jeter. But if he hasn't been willing to embrace A-Rod by now, it's hard to believe anything is going to change.

Not that Jeter can help A-Rod hit the high fastball. Indeed, it has become clear that, for all of A-Rod's talent, his failures in the postseason are due at least partly to the fact that he can't catch up to the high-octane fastball above, say, the thighs. Continue

A-Rod a factor as Piniella Lou-ms

ALEX Rodriguez may turn out to be a more powerful force in the Yankee front office this October than on the field. Joe Torre is in trouble - big trouble - and it is hard not to see Rodriguez' postseason struggles as a major reason why. George Steinbrenner is furious that the Yankees were just assured a sixth straight title-less season, but the emotional and financial implications of the last three are really eating at him.

There are many non-Rodriguez reasons why the Yanks have not won it all while he has been in pinstripes, but A-Rod has become the face of the failure. He was the rallying point for the Red Sox in '04. Even Rodriguez concedes he was most to blame for the Yanks losing to the Angels last season due to his costly Game 2 error and horrendous offense. And he just went 1-for-11 against the Tigers and stretched his RBI-less streak to 12 postseason games. Continue

Torre won't survive Yanks' collapse, to be fired

Heads were likely to roll after the Yankees were eliminated from the postseason by the Tigers, but the opening odds were on Alex Rodriguez going first, not Joe Torre. According to the New York Daily News, however, the popular Yankees manager will be fired unless he decides to resign first to save face. Sources told the newspaper that former Yankees player and manager Lou Piniella will be owner George Steinbrenner's choice to replace Torre.

After winning the World Series in four of his first five seasons, Torre has weathered many storms since then, but Saturday's 8-3 loss left him emotional as he pondered his future in the Bronx. "We felt pretty good about ourselves," Torre told the Daily News. "But again, that's something for [general manager Brian Cashman] and I and other people to talk about. But right now, it's just ..." and choking back tears, he concluded "... it's just tough." Continue

All Stars lose series vs Team

The Yankees lost the Division series to the better team. It is rare in sports to have a group of All-stars gel properly. Where have all the role players gone? How do you have the highest payroll with average pitching at best. Did anyone believe Wright would hang zeroes on the Tigers? Is there a fan who didn't think that Big Useless was old when they acquired him for Vazquez?

         I would be remiss if I didn't mention A-Rod. A-Rod is batting eighth? I hope Cashman is working on a trade right now for Scott Rolen. A-Rod can't come back next season with the Yanks. He CAN'T. It is a no win situation for both sides but He can't be back next season. And while Cashman is at it maybe He could get so more of that quality National league pitching via trade or free agency.

Yanks' postseason ends in Game 4

A season of hope and promise came crashing to an ugly finish on Saturday, as the Yankees were ousted from the postseason by the Tigers. New York dropped an 8-3 decision to Detroit, as Jeremy Bonderman dominated the Yankees' lineup, following the lead of fellow starters Justin Verlander and Kenny Rogers.

This marks the second consecutive season and third time in five years that the Yankees have been eliminated in the American League Division Series. New York, which hasn't won a World Series title since 2000, now faces another offseason of uncertainty. Continue

Wang won't be savior today

If you're hoping that Chien-Ming Wang will step off a plane in Motown this morning, pitch tonight and save the Yankees' season, think again. Joe Torre said before Game 3 last night that Wang, the Yankees' best starting pitcher, won't start Game 4 on three days' rest. "We're not going to pitch him in Game 4," Torre said. "That is not going to be the case. This youngster has pitched more innings this year than he's ever pitched. "I'm certainly not going to take a chance with his future on short rest." Continue

Offense is not all A-Rod's fault

Blame Alex Rodriguez if you want. It is easy and in vogue, and he did have another hitless postseason game. But that is too simple an explanation for what has beset the Yankees in this AL Division Series. The Yankees reached deep into George Steinbrenner's wallet to buy a lineup that was supposed to survive the slumps of any one player, even the most expensive player on the planet. This was conceived as an unstoppable force and, certainly, not something that could be curbed by October piñata Kenny Rogers. Continue

Bernie gamble a bust

The only scowl Gary Sheffield made last night was in the visiting dugout during batting practice, a short while after Joe Torre had decided that Bernie Williams would be in the lineup as the DH, while Jason Giambi would play first.

That left the man with the violent swing and the stare that wilts opposing pitchers in an unlikely place during a playoff game - on the bench. "Yeah, I would like to be (in) there," Sheffield said as his teammates took hacks in the batting cage at Comerica Park. Continue

Yankees bats go cold against Rogers

It was hard to believe that the Yankees' fearsome lineup would struggle against Kenny Rogers, who had compiled an 0-3 record and 8.85 ERA in nine career postseason games, including five starts. After all, Rogers had never pitched more than 5 1/3 innings in the playoffs, had lost seven consecutive decisions to the Yankees dating back more than a decade and posted a 6.45 career ERA against the Bombers. But Rogers pitched the game of his life, putting the Tigers one win from the American League Championship Series and the Yankees one loss from another early October exit. Continue

Jaret over Cory for Game 4 start

Joe Torre resisted naming his Game 4 starter until he was certain that a Game 4 would be necessary, so it wasn't until after yesterday's loss to the Tigers that Jaret Wright officially was tapped to pitch tomorrow afternoon at Comerica Park. Torre was choosing between Wright and Cory Lidle. Wright earned the nod after allowing 12 runs in 29-2/3 innings over his final five starts.

"Every time you get a chance to pitch in the postseason it's very exciting," said Wright, who is a career 3-5 with a 7.24 ERA in 15 playoff appearances (nine starts) with Cleveland and Atlanta. Lidle, who threw in the bullpen briefly yesterday, will be the Yanks' long reliever. He'll also be on alert today in case Randy Johnson's balky back cuts short his outing. (Daily News)

Boss gives K-Rod an F

A disappointed George Steinbrenner didn't like a lot of what he saw yesterday, especially from Alex Rodriguez. But The Boss was far from waving the white flag after the Tigers evened their division series with the Yankees yesterday with their 4-3 victory. The subject of Rodriguez, who went 0-for-4 yesterday with three strikeouts, including one with the bases loaded that ended the first inning, kicked off The Boss' impromptu postgame summit with a small group of reporters.

When asked if he liked what he saw from his big-ticket third baseman, Steinbrenner barked, "I didn't like him that well." Steinbrenner then was asked whether he was at all worried that Rodriguez, now just 1-for-8 in the series, was falling into another postseason abyss. (A-Rod, you may remember, hit .133 against the Angels in last season's division series). But here Steinbrenner stood by his man - well, kind of. "No, he'll pull out of it," he said, before adding, "I hope." Continue

Yet another chance for Johnson to earn stripes

We know now that Randy Johnson is never going to be the pitcher the Yankees thought they were obtaining, an April-through-October dominator. That is fine now. They don't need that today. All they need is for him to be better than Kenny Rogers. A lot better.

The Yankees are now in the same precarious spot as last year, tied at a game apiece in the Division Series and - on paper anyway - having a huge Game 3 starting pitching edge. But in Game 3 last year, the Angels' Paul Byrd pitched poorly, yet Johnson was even worse. The Yankees lost, when victory very likely would have meant advancement rather than the first-round ouster they suffered. Continue

Damon's blast not enough in Game 2

Wednesday night's rainout didn't have much of an impact on Thursday's Game 2 of the American League Division Series between the Yankees and Tigers. Detroit's young pitching, on the other hand, played a major role.

Justin Verlander held the Tigers in the game long enough to take a lead, while Joel Zumaya lit up the radar gun with a memorable relief effort. It all added up to a 4-3 Detroit win, sending the series back to Motown all knotted up at one game apiece. Continue

Bernie man with no role

The man who has played in the most postseason games in baseball history and hit the most postseason home runs was slated to be on the bench again last night before Game 2 of the division series was canceled. It's a weird new world for Bernie Williams.

Until he sat out Game 1 Tuesday against the Tigers, Williams had played in every Yankee postseason game since their run of 12 consecutive appearances began on Oct. 3, 1995, against the Mariners at the Stadium. He had caught fly balls to end World Series and won Game1 of the 1996 ALCS and Game 2 of the 1999 ALCS with home runs, becoming one of the faces of the Yanks' success. Continue

Disgruntled Boss takes shots

As thousands of disgruntled fans filed out of Yankee Stadium following the postponement of Game 2 of the division series last night, there may not have been anyone more agitated at the evening's events than George Steinbrenner. In an impromptu session with a small group of writers near his car, Steinbrenner unleashed his trademark rage on the league while also taking time to take a shot at the Bombers' crosstown rivals before calling it a night.

After Major League Baseball waited until almost 10 p.m. to call last night's contest - first pitch was scheduled for 8:09 p.m. - Steinbrenner fired a high hard one at the commissioner's office for failing to either start the game before the rain came or to cancel it much earlier in the evening. "I didn't like it," Steinbrenner fumed. "I think we should have played (or) we should have made up our minds earlier (to call it). One of the two." Continue

Derek's night has a ring to it

The captain of the Yankees, one of the most famous and popular Yankees of them all, comes out of his clubhouse in the late afternoon. Kim Jones of the YES Network, who has an appointment to interview Derek Jeter before he goes out to stretch with the rest of the Yankees, is waiting for him. Before Jones can say anything Jeter says, "I have about 92 seconds." The television lights go up, Jeter answers a couple of questions like he is going from first to third. Then he is gone, down the runway toward the Yankee dugout, bat in hand, walking fast, nearly running now. The playoffs are starting. In an October when he goes for his fifth World Series ring, this time the playoffs start with 5-for-5 from him against the Tigers.

The Yankees have not won the World Series for five years and that means Jeter, who we once thought might win World Series the way Joe DiMaggio did, hasn't won, either. He is not just the captain of the Yankees. He is their DiMaggio. It's not like everybody else has been losing for five years and he gets to be bulletproof. It doesn't work that way for Joe Torre and it doesn't work that way for the shortstop. Continue

Abreu earns his stripes right away

After his second two-RBI hit in last night's first game of the American League Division Series, Bobby Abreu jogged out to rightfield to take his position for the top of the seventh. The Yankees fans in the rightfield bleachers chanted "Bob-by, Bob-by." Abreu waved somewhat sheepishly with his glove.

The Bleacher Creatures can be like Roman emperors with their "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" response to Yankees players. Some (Bernie, Jeter) get cheered no matter what they do. Others (A-Rod, Big Unit) are beloved only when they do something special. Otherwise, it's off with their heads! Abreu, in his first postseason game as a Yankee, took a big step toward exalted status with a 2-for-5, four-RBI night in the Yankees' 8-4 win over the Tigers at Yankee Stadium. Continue

Abreu, Jeter lead way in Game 1 win

Bobby Abreu is relatively new to this whole postseason thing. Derek Jeter is not. Both players made a huge impact for the Yankees on Tuesday night, sparking New York to an 8-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

Abreu, playing in his fourth career playoff game and first since 1997, drove in four runs for the Yankees to kick off his first pinstriped postseason. Jeter, playing in the 116th game of his postseason career, collected his first five-hit night, homering and scoring three runs. The homer was the 17th of Jeter's postseason career, while he extended his own record for hits in the playoffs to 147. Continue

The leading man

As the Yankees' regular season wound down, Johnny Damon, the smiling center fielder and leadoff hitter who many around the team credit as one of the primary catalysts of the Yanks' success, was less visible around his locker. A slump had set in and Damon was spending more of his pregame time in the batting cage to prepare for the playoffs. He was still his old self, romping around and quoting Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell's character from the comedy "Talladega Nights," but Damon, who hit just .200 over the season's final month, was disappointed in his consistency.

"I haven't done that as much as I normally do," Damon was saying. "Coming here, I knew the expectations and I've been in pressure environments in the past. I think I've done an okay job, except for being consistent. "But hopefully all that will change in the playoffs. Hopefully, I can be the missing piece that the Yankees have been searching for." Continue

Torre: Mo will pitch ninth only

Joe Torre revealed - and reiterated - Mariano Rivera will be a one-inning pitcher this postseason. Torre, who has used Rivera for four-, five- and six-out saves in past Octobers, plans to handle him more gently this time around. The Yankee fireman missed most of September with an elbow scare that required an MRI and was eventually diagnosed as a forearm strain.

"We're going in the postseason with Mariano being a ninth-inning pitcher," Torre said during his workout day press conference. "We feel we have enough support leading up with him to be able to do this." Continue

Randy: I'm back in form

One day after passing muster with Joe Torre and pitching coach Ron Guidry following his 41-pitch bullpen session Sunday, Randy Johnson said yesterday he felt no after-effects as he prepared for his Game 3 start against the Tigers and Kenny Rogers Friday night in Detroit. Johnson was asked if his back came through in good shape, he answered with a simple, "Yeah."

Pressed further on his schedule leading up to his start, Johnson said, "I'm throwing on the side (tomorrow), before adding, "I said I felt fine." Johnson was diagnosed with a herniated disk last Thursday after he revealed to the Yankees that he had been pitching in pain over his last three starts, a span that saw him go 1-1 with a 7.64 ERA. An MRI revealed the injury and Johnson was given an epidural to help relieve the pain in his back. Continue

It's all'bout A-Rod now

If Joe Torre dropping Alex Rodriguez into the sixth spot of the supposed "Greatest Lineup Ever" didn't get the Yankees' attention, the manager grabbed it with a direct message to his players.

Standing in the middle of the Yankees' clubhouse yesterday, Torre reminded his players not to look past the reeling wild-card Tigers, who stagger into tonight's Game 1 of the ALDS on a five-game bender, having dropped three straight to the morbid Royals to flush the AL Central title. They lost 31 of the final 50 games. Continue

Bernie manages to have fun

Bernie Williams' most important decision in his first and almost certainly last game as manager of the Yankees - using himself as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning to get yet another grateful ovation from the Stadium fans - wasn't his own call. "I was reluctant to make that move. I actually told the umpire that I wanted to be on record that was not my move," Williams joked after "managing" the Yanks to a 7-5 loss in their regular-season finale. "(Bench coach) Lee Mazzilli came up to me and said these people are dying to see you hit and you should think about it. That helped, and then Joe (Torre) came up to me when I was up putting my shoes on and said, 'You're hitting.' That helped a lot more." Continue

Yanks under scrutiny

THE Yankees have turned into Sgt. Schultz from Hogan's Heroes. When it comes to steroids in their midst, they see nothing, they know nothing. That was their cover story on Gary Sheffield and, especially, Jason Giambi. And it was the word yesterday from Yankee players and executives upon a report in the Los Angeles Times that Jason Grimsley named names to federal investigators of those he knew to be using performance-enhancing drugs. Those names included Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.

So if you chose to believe the report that means Yankee titles won in 1999-2000, when Clemens, Pettitte and Grimsley wore pinstripes, are now tainted. Though, of course, it would be naive to believe this was limited to a few Yankees and not a major league-wide epidemic. It would be equally naive to believe that even with all the "tougher" drug-testing protocols now in place that any sport is clean. All those NFL linemen you watched run into each other yesterday, well, they are kind of much bigger than their brethren were 10 years ago, don't you think? Continue

Jeter falls short

Derek Jeter maintained all year that he wasn't very concerned with winning the batting title. After finishing the regular season where he spent most of it - second in the league to Minnesota's Joe Mauer - Jeter felt the same way.

"I would have loved to have won, everyone would love to win it," said Jeter, who went 1-for-5 in the Yankees' 7-5 loss to the Blue Jays yesterday at the Stadium. Mauer went 2-for-4 in Minnesota's 5-1 victory over the White Sox, outpacing Jeter, .347-.343. "